Best Buy Health, Biobeat partner on RPM wearables

Israeli healthtech startup Biobeat has joined forces with Best Buy Health to integrate its wrist and chest monitors into Best Buy Health's Current Health platform. Best Buy Health, having acquired home care platform Current in 2021, will incorporate Biobeat's wearables into its remote patient monitoring (RPM) solutions. 

Biobeat's RPM devices utilise proprietary data collection mechanisms, continuously monitoring 13 health parameters. The wearables, including a disposable chest monitor and a long-term wrist monitor, employ photoplethysmography-based sensors for non-invasive, real-time measurements of vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. The collaboration aims to enhance patient care by providing clinicians with a comprehensive view of health status, enabling proactive interventions, personalised treatment plans, and improved clinical decision-making through an AI-driven Early Warning Score system.

The partnership between Biobeat and Best Buy Health reflects the broader trend in the market for wearable devices with expanded health monitoring capabilities. This market evolution includes contributions from startups and major consumer tech companies such as Apple and Google. Wearable devices like the Apple Watch Series 9 and Fitbit Charge 6 offer advanced health monitoring features, with innovations like voice-based data entry and more accurate heart rate readings. The collaboration underscores the increasing significance of integrating technology into healthcare solutions for remote patient monitoring and personalised care.

The trend of wearable health devices extends beyond Biobeat and Best Buy Health, with various startups developing innovative solutions. Examples include Owlet's pulse oximetry sock for infants, a ring-type blood pressure monitor by South Korean startup Sky Labs, and an AI-powered patch called PETAL, developed in Singapore, capable of monitoring wound recovery. 

Integration of advanced technologies into healthcare reflects a growing emphasis on leveraging data and real-time monitoring for improved patient outcomes and more effective healthcare management.